Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Mushrooms After Rain
For anyone who either lives in Southwest Florida or has been
following the weather news, you may know that it had been raining here -
a lot. As in Tropical Storm Debby has meant days of rain and more
rain. For Seneca, this meant go outside and get soaked! I assure you
we are in a safe area and the times when she was playing outside, there
were no high gusts of wind. The gusts of wind did occur during these
days, but not at the specific moments when she was outside.
Yesterday the raining here had stopped and we could see its effects on our neighbor's lawn - mushrooms! Seneca has recently been quite enthralled by mushrooms after learning that gnomes live in mushrooms. So, for her, a great kingdom had just sprouted! She went and got one rather large mushroom with a very round and smooth top, not like the typical mushroom we often think of.
We spent some time exploring this mushroom of hers. She compared the different textures on it. Then, she held it up and said, "It's the sun!" We also figured out that it could be a wheel, a gnome's home, or a table. She then washed her hands thoroughly after so much mushroom touching.
From there, I decided to tell her the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Now, I had pretty much remembered the story, but I was really second guessing myself on my memory of it. I decided I had better look it up on the internet. Fortunately, I found a site which re-told the Norwegian folktale. It was a good thing because I had forgotten the nuances like the "trip-trap, trip-trap" each goat makes as he crosses the bridge. I re-told her the story before bedtime as well.
Yesterday the raining here had stopped and we could see its effects on our neighbor's lawn - mushrooms! Seneca has recently been quite enthralled by mushrooms after learning that gnomes live in mushrooms. So, for her, a great kingdom had just sprouted! She went and got one rather large mushroom with a very round and smooth top, not like the typical mushroom we often think of.
We spent some time exploring this mushroom of hers. She compared the different textures on it. Then, she held it up and said, "It's the sun!" We also figured out that it could be a wheel, a gnome's home, or a table. She then washed her hands thoroughly after so much mushroom touching.
From there, I decided to tell her the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Now, I had pretty much remembered the story, but I was really second guessing myself on my memory of it. I decided I had better look it up on the internet. Fortunately, I found a site which re-told the Norwegian folktale. It was a good thing because I had forgotten the nuances like the "trip-trap, trip-trap" each goat makes as he crosses the bridge. I re-told her the story before bedtime as well.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
On hiatus
So, all homeschooling stuff has been put on hiatus while I am dealing with a herniated disc in my back. I did do a mini geometry lesson with Liam. Seneca and I do still do phonics books and I can still tell her fairy tales.
It is so frustrating because I had so many things that I wanted to do with them. Some of it will just have to be done from textbooks I guess.
It is so frustrating because I had so many things that I wanted to do with them. Some of it will just have to be done from textbooks I guess.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Seneca's Day June 16, 2012
June 16, 2012
Seneca and I listened to The Grimms' The Sleeping Beauty on storynory. It is a free resource of audio books. After that I read three books to her. We read Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski, I Know A Rhino by Charles Fuge, and The Carot Seed by Ruth Krauss.
We did form drawing after reading time. Seneca walked a straight line. I drew a straight line on Seneca's back. Seneca found a crayon and a pencil and held them up as straight lines. She practiced drawing the straight line form on scrap paper. She then put her first entry into her Main Lesson Form Drawing book.
Seneca painted with home made paint from flour, corn syrup, water and green food coloring.
Then, it was outdoor playtime with friends.
We re-read The Carrot
Seed at night just before dinner and ate pot roast with beef, potatoes,
onions and lots of carrots.
Seneca and I listened to The Grimms' The Sleeping Beauty on storynory. It is a free resource of audio books. After that I read three books to her. We read Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski, I Know A Rhino by Charles Fuge, and The Carot Seed by Ruth Krauss.
We did form drawing after reading time. Seneca walked a straight line. I drew a straight line on Seneca's back. Seneca found a crayon and a pencil and held them up as straight lines. She practiced drawing the straight line form on scrap paper. She then put her first entry into her Main Lesson Form Drawing book.
Seneca painted with home made paint from flour, corn syrup, water and green food coloring.
Then, it was outdoor playtime with friends.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
June 2012
Yasmeen has completed eighth grade and made honor roll three times this year. She made honor roll for fourth quarter. Sadly, I wasn't able to attend her moving up ceremony as I was in the hospital with a bad back.
Liam and Yasmeen will both attend the same school in the Fall. For the summer, Liam's goal is to work more on math. He is really excited about going to this school, so we are approaching math in a more traditional manner than with unschooling. Although, many unschoolers will say that if a child wants to learn a subject and wants to learn it in a traditional method of textbooks and workbooks, then there is nothing wrong with that. We reviewed long multiplication tonight. He did fairly well with it. He knows how to do it, this was just getting the gears in his head turning again.
Seneca continues to work on her phonics with me. She also has glue and glitter at her disposal for whenever she wants to do some crafts. She likes to go outside and dig in the dirt and make a cup of mud. She calls this her "project." Seneca has a collection of shells and she decided that the cone shape ones are gnomes' hats. Another set of them are the ships in which the sea gnomes sail away.
Liam and Yasmeen will both attend the same school in the Fall. For the summer, Liam's goal is to work more on math. He is really excited about going to this school, so we are approaching math in a more traditional manner than with unschooling. Although, many unschoolers will say that if a child wants to learn a subject and wants to learn it in a traditional method of textbooks and workbooks, then there is nothing wrong with that. We reviewed long multiplication tonight. He did fairly well with it. He knows how to do it, this was just getting the gears in his head turning again.
Seneca continues to work on her phonics with me. She also has glue and glitter at her disposal for whenever she wants to do some crafts. She likes to go outside and dig in the dirt and make a cup of mud. She calls this her "project." Seneca has a collection of shells and she decided that the cone shape ones are gnomes' hats. Another set of them are the ships in which the sea gnomes sail away.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
5/30/2012
I made a few phonics flashcards today for Seneca. We just went over them twice and then Seneca lost interest for the time being. Seneca chose out two books for us to read together tonight. She chose Colors as well as The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. After I read to her, Seneca then "read" The Very Busy Spider. She was using the pictures as her cues and her memory to recite back the story.
Earlier today, I filled up a used bread bag with colored water. After that, I filled up a small ziploc bag with corn syrup, blue food dye, and artsy gems for some more sensory fun! She loved both bags and even when the water bag had a leak, we had fun squirting the water out of the hole.
Earlier today, I filled up a used bread bag with colored water. After that, I filled up a small ziploc bag with corn syrup, blue food dye, and artsy gems for some more sensory fun! She loved both bags and even when the water bag had a leak, we had fun squirting the water out of the hole.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sidewalk Astronomy
I have been getting email updates about events for a local sidewalk astronomy group, but I have never been able to attend any of the events. Well, this past Saturday, we finally went to one. I told Liam and his friends that we were going to X Beach City Hall. Of course, they heard "beach." So, we decided to make it a beach day followed by planet gazing. Best laid plans though..... In any event, by the time we got everyone (Liam, three of his friends, Seneca, and I) ready to go, it was just about sunset and I wanted to get to Sidewalk Astronomy right at sunset. So, we skipped the beach (for the time being.)
So many generous people set up beautiful telescopes and allowed other people there to look through. The kids saw the gasses surrounding the sun. They saw Venus in one telescope. Venus looked like a crescent moon. The kids and I got to see the moon in several different telescopes. The moon is either in light or in dark, no in between. And the kids and I got to see Saturn in one telescope! Afterwards, the boys said to me that they were disappointed about not going to the beach, but the sidewalk astrononmy thing was awesome. "Can we go again in September?"
From now on, I will certainly make an effort to attend the X Beach City Hall set ups. There are other set ups around town, but this one is the closest to us.
After leaving, we did stop at the beach for about thirty minutes. No going in the water, but the kids dug in the sand and I did get my feet wet. :)
So many generous people set up beautiful telescopes and allowed other people there to look through. The kids saw the gasses surrounding the sun. They saw Venus in one telescope. Venus looked like a crescent moon. The kids and I got to see the moon in several different telescopes. The moon is either in light or in dark, no in between. And the kids and I got to see Saturn in one telescope! Afterwards, the boys said to me that they were disappointed about not going to the beach, but the sidewalk astrononmy thing was awesome. "Can we go again in September?"
From now on, I will certainly make an effort to attend the X Beach City Hall set ups. There are other set ups around town, but this one is the closest to us.
After leaving, we did stop at the beach for about thirty minutes. No going in the water, but the kids dug in the sand and I did get my feet wet. :)
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